Surgeons, led by Dr McKay McKinnon from the US, warned Nguyen Duy Hai he could die during the 12-hour operation to cut away the benign growth.

‘It’s common for people to fear death, and I’m no exception,’ the 31-year-old, who has a rare genetic disorder, told a Vietnamese website before the procedure.’But when I heard that Dr McKinnon had decided to come back to Vietnam one more time to give me a new life, I became more hopeful.’

Hai was warned the operation to remove his 90-kilo tumour had only a 50 per cent chance of success (Picture: FV hospital/AFP/Getty)

The 31-year-old, who has a rare genetic disorder, had part of his leg amputated when he was 17 but it failed to stop the growth.